Fruit-tray cleaner



Iul 'ioflszs. 1,676,801

J. W. ROBINSON FRUIT TRAY CLEANER Filed June 1,1926

INK/ENTER- J. w Romnson HEM-Q?) Patented July 1.9 1928 iJOHN w. RoBiNsoN, or woonLnnD, ma ma... .7 I"

Fenian-TRAY CLEANER." Q 1 I Application niie This invention resides in the provisionof a simply constructed, inexpensive, strong and durable machine for cleaning fruit trays such as are used in the drying and other treatment of fruit in the reparation of the same for market, the said mach ine; being capable of thoroughly cleaning large numbers of fruit trays in a comparatively short time and at a low cost. Q

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a fruitv tray vcleaning machine in which all that is necessary for the operator to do is to placethe fruit trays one after the other into the, machine, the operation of'advancing the traysthrough the machine and cleaning thereof being automatic.

, 'A further ob'ect of the invention is to provide in a fruit tray cleaning machine of the character described a" combined auto matic and manually operable means for movingthe brush into and out ofposition to clean the tray, which said two means either of them, maybe operated Without efl'ecting the other and insure a reliable and con tinuous cleaning operation. v j

Another object of the invention is to pro; videa fruit tray cleaning machine of the character'describedin which the trayas it is moved into position to be cleaned by the machine, will'automatically move th'e'brush intoand'out of properposition to effect a thorough cleaning without in any way'damaging the tray. k i I V A further object is to provide in 'a machine of the character describech novel means formountingand adjusting the brush which may be quickly and easily operatedto adapt the machine for cleaning trays of different sizes and kinds.

; 'Another purpose of the invention is to provide a machine of-lthe character'described which may be manufactured and sold at low cost and operated by a single attendant or operator so that a large number of trays maybe thoroughly cleaned inles'stimeand at less cost than has heretofore been possible. '7

above mentioned and otherobf-v jects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described," illustrated in the ac companying drawing, and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it beingunderstood 7 that various changes in the form,v proportion,

size and minor details of construction within the scope of the, claims may; be resorted to 1926. Serial at. 112,788.

without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the in;

vention.' v. a

Referring to the drawing: 7 3 Fig. l'representsa side elevation of the machine of my invention s i Fig. 2 represents atop plan View of the machine. I g I Figl 3'represents an end elevation of the machine; j Y Y i v i 1,676,801 PATENT-OFFICE. 4

' In the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying 'olrawingthe E machine compr ses an elongated v rectangular skeleton frame 1'on the upper side of which is supported an endless conveyor 2, the icon v veyor being horizontallyfdisposed, and at such an elevation that'an operator may read- 1' ily pick up jthe fruit trays and move them onto the conveyor. The conveyor 2mmpri'ses endless chains 3 and 4 mounted on a pair of sprockets 5, at oneend of thefr'ame andon' asimilar pair of sprockets 6 atthe other end of the frame; These sprockets are mounted on shafts 7 and 8 suitably journaled inthe frame. Extending transversely between and joined with the chains are a plurality of fruit tray supporting'slats 9. The lengthof the conveyor may be varied as desiredb'ut preferably the length is greater than' that of the ordinary fruit tray.

'A brush supporting frame 10 is pivoted as at 11 to upright extensions 12 of the frame and is adapted tobe swung up and down to regulate the position of the cylindrical rotary brush 13 supported in'bearings 14 between the ends of the frame 10. The brush maybe of any suitablematerial' but is preferably' constructed of steel bristles so that a thorough brushing and cleaning action may be effected. The free end of the brush supporting frame'10, is adapted to ,rest' upon vertically adjustable stop blocks '15 supported oniup'right extensions 16 of the .frame. These blocks are provided with slots 17 through which bolts'18 carried by the extensions 16 extend, therebeing wing nuts 19' on the bolts to provide for securing the blocks in adjusted position. The brush may I I be supported at different elevations dependent upon the ikindand size of the trays to be cleaned." These blocks may be employed for regulating the brushing action and .also as a means for preventing the'entire weight of the heavy brush and its supporting mechanism'from'being placed upon'the trays 'id glz anin ete e e e wearing away of the traysor other damage thereto.

The brush is provided with a suitable hood or guard toprevent scatteringof-the material brushed off of the trays. On one trunnion 21 of the brush there is provided a pulley 22 driven by a belt 23.yvhich is operated by a suitable sourceof pow'enor prime mover, not shown. On the other trunnion 243 is a pulley 25 and a loose belt 26. This belt is extendedaround the pulley 27 on a shaft 28 journaled in the lower part of the frame 1. A 'small sprocket wheel 29 is mounted on the shaft f28 and drives a chain 30 which is extended, around the sprocket wheel 31 on the conveyor shaft 8,

By this arrangement the conveyor is driven at a comparatively slow speed from the brush trunnion whereas the brush sprotated at a high rate of speed so as to produce an.

effective brushing andcleaning action.

The traysare placed upon the conveyor i 9 andfmovedby said conveyor towards the brush, which brush. is oflnecessity normally disposed with itslower side just clearing the upper side of the conveyor. The forward :1 edge of the tray as shown at A' will encounter downwardly and forwardly curved adjustable shoes 32 carried by the brush sup p ortingtframe adjacent the ends of thebrush. These shoes areso curved and positioned thatthe front andlrearupright walls of the tray will -engage them anclprevent contact of the brush with said walls. Inasmuch as the trays are provided with upstanding vflanges or walls ontheir ends and sides, the

engagement of the end walls of'the tray with the shoes lifts the brush and brush' frame so that the brush clears said Walls in moving into. and out of contact'with the bottoms of the trays. The lower-"ends of the shoesv are disposed above the'p'lane of thelower side of the brush I to cause the bristles of the brush to flex before contact of the shoes with the tray during the brushing operation. In

this Way the trays act to automatically lift its associated elements are of considerable Weight and i should brushing action take place with the entire weight of the brush and associated parts'support'ed by the tray, the trays might be unduly worn or otherwise I damagedin a short time, also the heavy.

brush if permitted to encounter the end Walls of the tray would'loosen and knock out said ,walls. v. v I To maintain sufficient frictional engagement between the belt 26 and the pulleys associated therewith and at the same time and arm being supported by the upper run of the belt.

To provide'for a manual operation of the brush to lift the same-over the ends of the. tray into contact with the tray bottom prin'-' cipally ,so as to so operate the brush in case of failure of the automatic lifting means and also to apply added pressure'to the" brush 1 3 a ever 37 Pivotedf between itsfend's as at 38 on a cross'piece39 of the frame extension 16. By means of a yoke 40 the adjacent end of the lever is connected with the free end of the brush supporting frame sothat it is only necessary for the operator to reach upward and pull down on the free end of the lever 37 to raise the brush clear of the upstanding ends of the trays and to then lower the 'brushincontact with the bottoms of the trays. This lever is disposed'adjacent the intake end. of the machine in a position so that it may be conveniently reached by the operator standing at a point where the trays are fed into the. machine; With an exceptionally dirty tray it may be desirable to increase the brushpressure on the tray and the operator then pushes upward on the lever to apply an added pressure to the brush.

With the machine of this ention a large number of trays 'mayvbe'thoroughly and effectively cleaned in less timefand at less costithan with other machines of which I I am aware. One of the points of advantage (I of this machine is that it will provide for a thorough cleaning without causing an undue Wearing away or other damage to the trays, this being particularly due to the adjustable stops, manner of adjustably supporting the brushand also the shoes for automatically lifting the brush overthe endsof the'tray. By mountingthe brush approximately centrally of the ends of the conveyorand providing a comparatively long conveyor, fruit trays of the largest sizes commonly used and of smaller sizes, may be cleaned with equal facility.

Another further advantage is the provision of the combinedautomatie"and manu-v ally operated'brush lifting means whereby if' for any reason the automatic means fails to lift the brush, the operator may readily grasp the lever 37 and due to the length of said lever, easily lift the brush as will be done. automatically, thus preventing the brush, means for vertically adjustably supporting the brush above the conveyor in position to engage the vfruit trays as the latter are moved past the brush by the conveyor, means for rotating the brush and conveyor, an operating lever pivoted on the frame and operatively connected with the adjustable brush support, an adjustable stop member on the frame with .which said brush support engages and shoes carried by the brush support and arranged to engagethe end Walls of the tray.

2. A machine for cleaning comprising a frame, a fruit tray conveyor on the frame, a rotary brush, means for vertically adjustably supporting the brush above the conveyor in position to engage the 2 fruit trays as the latter are moved past the n fruit trays brush on the conveyor, means for rotating the brush and conveyor, an operating lever pivoted between its ends on the frame, means of connection between one end of the operating lever and the adjustable brush support and fruit'tray engaging shoes carried by the brush support and extending downwardly adjacent the loweriside of the brush. g

A machine for cleaning fruit trays comprising a frame, a conveyor for moving the fruit trays along the frame, a rotary brush, means for vertically adjustably' supporting the brush 'abovethe conveyor and vertically adjustable. shoes carried by and extending downwardly from the brush supportwith the lower ends thereof adjacent the lower side of the brush, which shoes are adapted to engage the trays.

JOHN W. ROBINSON. 

